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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


>' 


BRIEF    ACCOUNT 


DISCOVERIES   AND   RESULTS 


UNITED   STATES   EXPLORING   EXPEDITION 


FROM   THE  AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  SCIENCE  AND  ARTS,   VOL.  XLIV. 


t  { 


NEW    HAVEN: 

PRINTED   BY    B.   L.   HAMLEN 

1843. 


K-CV//0 
VJ-732. 


UNITED    STATES    EXPLORING    EXPEDITION. 


ENGLAND  and  France  have  long  been,  honorable  rivals  on  the 
ocean,  as  well  in  exploring  as  in  warlike  expeditions.  The  voy- 
ages of  Cook,  Vancouver,  Flinders,  Parry,  Beechey,  King,  Fitz- 
roy,  and  Ross,  are  conspicuous  in  the  annals  of  English  naviga- 
tion ;  while  France  is  no  less  honored  by  her  explorations  under 
Bougainville,  La  Perouse,  Labillardiere,  Duperrey,  Freycinet, 
and  D'Urville.  Both  countries  have  looked  beyond  the  mere  dis- 
covery of  new  lands,  new  commercial  resources,  and  territorial 
aggrandizement.  Their  efforts  have  been  directed  towards  an 
increase  of  knowledge  in  every  branch  of  science,  and  there  are 
few  regions  from  the  equator  to  the  poles,  which  have  not  been 
tracked  by  their  vessels.  Whatever  could  illustrate  the  condi- 
tion or  resources  of  the  regions  visited  ;  the  customs,  languages, 
or  history  of  their  unknown  tribes ;  or  the  motion  of  the  winds, 
the  waters,  the  world,  or  the  stars,  has  been  thought  worthy  of 
observation.  Cook  was  dispatched  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  expressly 
to  observe  the  transit  of  Venus,  and  Sir  Joseph  Banks  and  Forster 
accompanied  him  at  different  times  in  his  voyages  around  the 
world.  In  the  late  voyage  of  Fitzroy,  Mr.  Darwin  was  associa- 
ted with  the  expedition,  and  made  large  contributions  to  science. 
France  has  outstripped  England  in  the  liberality  with  which  her 
expeditions  have  been  fitted  out,  and  in  the  magnificence  of  her 
publications.  The  many  folio  volumes  of  plates,  published  as 
the  result  of  the  voyages  of  Freycinet,  Duperrey,  and  D'Urville, 
and  those  of  Napoleon's  expedition  into  Egypt,  are  among  the 
most  splendid  productions  of  the  age.  They  are  a  noble  gift 
from  France  to  the  world. 

America  has  at  last  taken  her  part  in  the  labors  of  exploration. 
An  Exploring  Expedition  has  been  sent  out,  and  has  returned. 
It  was  organized  on  a  plan  honorable  to  a  nation  that  is  second  to 
none  in  enterprise  and  general  education ;  and  its  results,  when 
published,  will,  it  is  believed,  equal  in  amount  and  interest,  those 
of  any  expedition  that  has  preceded  it.  The  expedition  sailed 
under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Charles  Wilkes,  who  was  aided  by 
intelligent  officers,  well  fitted  for  the  duties  to  which  they  were 
called ;  and  the  large  number  of  charts  that  have  been  made  in 
the  course  of  the  cruise,  evince  alike  the  energy  of  the  com- 

1 


4  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

mander,  and  the  industry  and  skill  of  all  engaged  in  the  surveys. 
The  duties  have  been  extremely  laborious,  beyond  the  concep- 
tion of  the  comfortable  house-dweller  at  home.  The  loss  of  one 
schooner  with  all  hands,  including  two  officers ;  the  total  wreck 
of  another  vessel — the  sloop  of  war  Peacock — stripping  the  crew 
of  every  thing  but  their  lives ;  the  massacre  of  two  officers  by  the 
savages  of  the  Feejee  Islands,  and  of  a  sailor  by  the  treacherous 
Kingsmill  Islanders,  are  the  only  fatal  disasters :  but  they  are  a 
few  only  of  its  perils.  Indeed  there  were  dangers  every  where, 
by  land  as  well  as  by  sea.  The  personal  adventures  in  the 
course  of  the  cruise,  told  as  simple  tales,  without  exaggeration, 
would  make  a  volume  full  of  startling  incidents,  and  replete 
with  interest. 

It  is  gratifying  to  learn  that  the  country  will  soon  be  put  in  pos- 
session of  the  facts  collected.  Thus  far  those  engaged  in  it  have 
alone  been  benefited.  They  have  collected  information  that  will 
be  invaluable  to  them  as  men  of  intelligence  and  members  of  so- 
ciety. It  remains  for  them  to  give  this  information  to  the  coun- 
try, that  the  people  who  have  borne  the  expense,  may  also  par- 
take of  the  profits.  The  affairs  of  the  expedition  are  in  the 
hands  of  the  Library  Committee  of  Congress,  and  under  their 
direction,  Captain  Wilkes  has  been  put  in  charge  of  the  history 
of  the  voyage,  the  charts  arid  philosophical  observations,  and  the 
other  departments  of  science  are  placed  in  the  hands  of  those 
that  had  charge  of  them  during  the  voyage.  Each  will  prepare 
his  own  reports,  reap  his  own  honors,  and  be  held  responsible  for 
his  own  facts.  The  extent  of  the  work  cannot  be  definitely 
stated :  the  plates  will  form  several  folio  volumes  in  the  style  of 
the  voyage  of  the  Astrolabe. 

As  the  country  is  much  interested  to  know  what  has  been 
done  by  the  expedition,  it  is  proposed  to  give,  in  as  brief  a  man- 
ner as  possible,  some  idea  of  the  material  on  hand  for  publica- 
tion, and  the  general  character  and  extent  of  the  collections.  Our 
acquaintance  with  the  gentlemen  of  the  expedition,  enables  us 
to  state  many  particulars  which  have  not  yet  appeared  in  print, 
the  accuracy  of  which  may  be  relied  on. 

We  prelude  our  remarks,  by  giving  the  track  of  the  vessels  as 
laid  down  in  Capt.  Wilkes's  synopsis  of  the  cruise. 

On  August  19,  1838,  the  vessels  left  the  Capes  of  the  Chesa- 
peake and  sailed  for  Rio  Janeiro,  making  short  calls  at  Madeira 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  5 

and  the  Cape  Verds.  From  Rio,  on  the  6th  of  January  follow- 
ing, they  proceeded  to  Rio  Negro,  on  the  northern  confines 
of  Patagonia,  and  thence  to  Nassau  Bay  in  Tierra  del  Fuego, 
just  west  of  Cape  Horn.  From  this  place,  the  Peacock,  Porpoise, 
and  the  two  schooners,  made  cruises  in  different  directions  to- 
wards the  pole ;  but  the  season  was  too  far  advanced  for  much 
success,  as  it  was  already  February  24th  before  they  sailed. 
The  schooner  Flying  Fish,  notwithstanding,  reached  latitude 
70°  14'  S.,  nearly  the  highest  attained  by  Cook,  and  not  far 
from  the  same  longitude.  The  ship  Relief  was  ordered  to  enter 
a  southern  channel  opening  into  the  straits  of  Magellan,  but  met 
with  constant  gales,  and  barely  escaped  being  wrecked,  after  a  loss 
of  four  anchors,  at  an  anchorage  she  had  made  under  Noir  Island, 
to  escape  the  rocks  of  a  lee  coast.  The  Vincennes  remained  at 
Nassau  Bay  to  carry  on  surveys  and  magnetic  observations.  In 
May  of  1839,  the  vessels  were  again  together  at  Valparaiso,  with 
the  exception  of  one  schooner,  the  Sea  Gull,  which  was  lost  in  a 
gale  shortly  after  leaving  Nassau  Bay.  The  vessels  sailed  on 
the  6th  of  June  for  Callao,  Peru,  and  from  here,  the  Relief,  hav- 
ing proved  ill-adapted  for  such  a  voyage,  was  dispatched  home. 
On  the  12th  of  July,  the  squadron  left  the  South  American  coast 
and  sailed  west,  visiting  and  surveying  fourteen  or  fifteen  of  the 
Paumotu  Islands,  two  of  the  Society  Islands,  and  all  the  Naviga- 
tor group,  and  on  the  28th  of  November  reached  Sydney,  New 
South  Wales. 

The  vessels  next  proceeded  on  their  second  Antarctic  cruise. 
Land  was  first  discovered  in  longitude  160°  E.,  and  latitude  66° 
30'  S.  The  Yincennes  and  Porpoise  pursued  the  barrier  of  ice 
to  the  westward  as  far  as  97°  E.  longitude,  seeing  the  land  at  in- 
tervals for  one  thousand  five  hundred  miles.  When  the  barrier 
of  ice  permitted,  the  Vincennes  sailed  along  "  within  from  three 
fourths  of  a  mile  to  ten  miles  of  the  land."  In  a  place  they  call- 
ed Piner's  bay,  soundings  were  obtained  in  thirty  fathoms,  and 
they  had  hopes  of  soon  landing  on  the  rocks ;  but  a  storm  came 
up  suddenly  which  lasted  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  drove  the  ves- 
sel far  to  leeward ;  they  consequently  pushed  on  with  their  ex- 
plorations to  the  westward,  hoping  for  some  more  accessible  place, 
but  were  disappointed.*  Large  masses  of  rock  were  collected 

*  See  the  synopsis  of  the  cruise  by  Capt.  Wilkes. 


6  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

from  the  icy  barrier  in  close  proximity  to  the  land,  which  are  now 
deposited  in  the  National  Gallery  at  the  Patent  Office.  Two  of 
the  masses,  one  of  basalt  and  the  other  of  compact  red  sandstone, 
weigh  each  about  eighty  pounds.  Besides  these,  there  are  many 
smaller  specimens  of  gray  and  flesh-colored  granite,  gneiss,  white 
and  red  sandstone,  basalt,  and  reddish  clay  or  earth.  The  Pea- 
cock was  enclosed  in  the  ice  soon  after  reaching  it,  when  pene- 
trating towards  an  appearance  of  land  ahead,  and  for  twenty 
hours  they  were  barely  hoping  for  life.  They  had  obtained 
soundings  in  320  fathoms.*  On  the  24th  of  February,  1840, 
the  Vincennes  left  the  ice,  and  by  the  24th  of  April,  all  the  ves- 
sels were  together  at  Tongatabu.  During  the  Antarctic  cruise, 
the  scientific  gentlemen  were  occupied  making  observations  and 
collections  in  New  Holland  and  New  Zealand ;  they  joined  the 
squadron  at  the  latter  place. 

After  delaying  a  day  or  two  at  Tongatabu,  the  squadron  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Feejees,  where  nearly  four  months  were  industri- 
ously occupied  in  surveys  and  various  scientific  observations. 
Thence  they  sailed  for  the  Sandwich  Islands,  passing  on  the 
way  and  surveying  several  small  coral  islands.  The  Vincennes 
spent  the  winter  at  this  group,  and  in  the  course  of  it,  the  pendu- 
lum and  other  philosophical  instruments  were  carried  to  the  very 
summit  of  Mauna  Loa,  an  elevation  of  fourteen  thousand  feet. 
Occasionally,  at  sunset,  they  observed  the  sublime  spectacle  of 
the  shadow  of  this  mountain  dome  projected  upon  the  eastern 
skies. 

During  the  same  time  the  Peacock  and  schooner  Flying  Fish 
were  cruising  in  the  equatorial  regions  of  the  Pacific,  visiting 
and  surveying  numerous  scattered  coral  islands,  besides  the  Nav- 
igator's and  the  Kingsmill  group,  and  others  of  the  Caroline 
Archipelago.  The  Porpoise  made  charts  of  several  of  the  Pau- 
motu  Islands  not  before  surveyed,  and  touched  again  at  Tahiti. 

*  There  has  been  much  incredulity  in  the  country  with  regard  to  the  discovery 
of  this  land,  owing  probably  to  mistaking  the  dispute  with  the  French  with  regard 
to  priority  of  discovery,  for  a  dispute  with  regard  to  discovery  itself.  The  facts 
here  stated  set  the  subject  at  rest.  Within  a  few  weeks,  acknowledgments  have 
reached  this  country  from  the  French  expedition,  yielding  the  priority  to  the 
American  expedition,  and  it  will  be  so  stated  in  their  forthcoming  publications. 
The  part  of  the  line  of  land  which  Ross  is  said  to  have  sailed  over,  was  a  discov- 
ery claimed  by  Bellamy,  and  which  Capt.  Wilkes  added  to  the  chart  he  sent  Capt. 
Ross,  with  Bellamy's  name  accidentally  omitted  in  copying. 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  7 

In  the  spring  of  1841,  the  Vincennes  and  Porpoise  were  early 
on  the  coast  of  Oregon.  The  Peacock  and  Flying  Fish  arrived 
there  in  July,  and  while  attempting  to  enter  the  Columbia,  the 
Peacock  met  with  her  disaster.  There  were  several  land  expe- 
ditions into  the  interior  of  Oregon,  of  from  five  hundred  to  one 
thousand  miles  each,  and  one  of  about  eight  hundred  miles,  from 
the  Columbia  River,  to  San  Francisco  in  California. 

The  vessels  left  California  in  November  of  1841,  touched  for 
supplies  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  proceeded  to  Manilla  in  the 
Philippines ;  thence  to  Mindanao,  and  through  the  Sooloo  Archi- 
pelago, and  the  straits  of  Balabac,  to  Singapore,  which  place  they 
reached  in  February  of  1842.  They  proceeded  thence  by  the 
straits  of  Surida  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  passing  by  St.  He- 
lena, the  squadron  arrived  at  New  York  in  June  of  1842,  having 
been  absent  from  the  country  about  three  years  and  ten  months, 
and  having  sailed  between  eighty  and  ninety  thousand  miles. 

The  number  of  islands  surveyed  during  the  cruise  of  the  ex- 
ploring expedition,  is  about  two  hundred  and  eighty,  besides  eight 
hundred  miles  on  the  streams  and  coast  of  Oregon,  and  one  thou- 
sand and  five  hundred  miles  laid  down  along  the  land  and  icy 
barrier  of  the  Antarctic  continent.  Numerous  islands  of  doubtful 
existence  have  been  looked  for,  shoals  have  been  examined,  reefs 
discovered  and  laid  down,  harbors  surveyed  and  many  for  the 
first  time  made  known,  and  the  latitudes  and  longitudes  of  the 
points  visited  have  been  determined  with  all  possible  precision. 
Very  many  of  the  doubtful  points  in  the  geography  of  the  Pa- 
cific have  been  cleared  up,  and  the  expedition  is  prepared  to  sup- 
ply our  navigators  with  the  most  complete  map  of  the  ocean  ever 
published. 

Next  to  Oregon,  the  Feejee  group  may  be  considered  the  rrost 
important  of  the  unexplored  regions  visited  by  the  squadron. 
This  group  is  a  perfect  labyrinth  of  lofty  islands  and  coral  reefs, 
and  many  disastrous  wrecks  have  already  occurred  to  our  trading 
vessels  in  those  seas.  The  islands  are  visited  for  biche-da-mar,* 
tortoise  shell,  and  sandal- wood ;  and  there  is  no  part  of  the  year 
in  which  there  are  not  some  Yankee  cruisers  threading  their  dan- 


*  The  biche-da-mar  is  a  kind  of  sea-slug — a  sluggish,  cucumber-shaped  animal, 
that  lives  about  the  reefs.  It  is  boiled  and  dried  over  a  smoking  fire,  and  carried 
in  ship-loads  to  the  Chinese  market,  where  it  is  esteemed  a  great  delicacy. 


8  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

gerous  way  among  its  thousand  reefs.  The  whole  number  of 
islands  in  the  group,  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  ;  one  of  these 
contains  about  four  thousand  square  miles,  and  another  is  but  lit- 
tle smaller.  They  are  rich  and  fertile,  and  will  one  day  rank 
first  in  the  Pacific  for  resources,  as  they  are  now  first  in  extent 
and  number.  The  harbors  are  numerous  and  convenient. 

Much  might  be  said  of  Samoa  or  the  Navigator  Islands,  which, 
though  less  extensive,  are  more  beautiful  than  the  Feejees,  and 
contain  at  least  five  times  as  much  fertile  land,  in  proportion  to 
their  extent,  as  the  Sandwich  Islands.  But  our  remarks  would 
lengthen  out  beyond  allowed  limits,  should  we  speak  even  cur- 
sorily of  the  various  regions  that  have  been  examined. 

A  few  unknown  islands  were  fallen  in  with,  and  one  was  dis- 
covered at  midnight,  just  in  time  to  avoid  its  reefs.  But  many 
such  discoveries  are  not  to  be  expected  at  this  late  day.  At  the 
island  referred  to,  the  natives  were  so  completely  ignorant  of 
white  men,  as  to  believe  them  inhabitants  of  the  sun ;  for  they 
thought  that  the  great  ship,  or  "  floating  island,"  as  they  called  it, 
might  sail  off  from  the  sun  when  it  comes  to  the  surface  of  the 
sea  at  night,  or  leaves  it  in  the  morning.  All  their  little  property 
was  brought  out  by  the  terrified  people,  as  a  peace-offering  to 
their  imagined  deities ;  and  when  the  boats  shoved  off  from  the 
shore,  they  pointed  to  the  sun  and  asked  in  their  language,  "  you 
going  back  again  ?" 

Observations  with  the  magnetic  needle,  thermometer,  and  ba- 
rometer, have  been  constantly  made  throughout  the  cruise.  The 
deep-sea  lead  with  a  self-registering  thermometer  attached,  has 
been  sent  down  in  the  various  seas  passed  over,  and  many  inter- 
esting facts  have  been  observed,  that  throw  light  upon  the  upper 
and  under  currents  of  the  ocean.  Observations  were  also  made 
on  shooting  stars,  the  zodiacal  light,  the  aurora  australis,  tides, 
the  course  and  rotary  character  of  gales,  &c.  &,c. 

The  manners  and  customs,  mode  of  life,  superstitions  and  re- 
ligious observances,  traditions,  &c.  of  the  people  met  with  in  the 
course  of  the  cruise,  .received  constant  attention,  and  complete 
collections  were  made  of  their  implements,  manufactures,  articles 
of  dress,  &c.  These  collections  are  now  nearly  arranged  in  the 
Hall  or  National  Gallery  at  the  Patent  Office.  Separate  cases  or 
parts  of  cases  are  allotted  to  the  different  islands  or  groups  of 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  9 

islands,  and  when  labelled  throughout — which  is  now  in  pro- 
gress— the  condition  of  the  various  tribes  or  races,  and  the  degree 
of  civilization  among  them,  will  be  at  once  apparent  to  the  eye. 
By  a  walk  through  the  National  Gallery,  we  travel  with  more 
than  railroad  speed  over  the  Pacific,  and  examine  into  their  va- 
rious productions  and  the  relative  intelligence  of  the  savages. 
The  degradation  of  the  New  Hollander  stands  out  in  bold  relief 
in  contrast  with  the  more  advanced,  though  no  less  barbarous 
Feejee.  With  the  former,  a  war-club,  and  one  or  two  other  im- 
plements of  war,  including  a  small  elliptical  shield,  is  their  all — 
there  are  no  dresses,  no  household  utensils,  for  they  use  neither, 
and  live  without  houses.  Two  cases*  are  filled  with  articles  of 
Feejee  manufacture,  and  among  them  are  war-clubs  of  various 
kinds,  spears,  bows  and  arrows,  native  cloth  of  numerous  pat- 
terns, dresses  of  the  men  and  women,  with  bracelets  and  neck- 
laces of  shells  and  human  teeth,  wigs  of  Feejee  hair,  showing 
the  mode  of  dressing  the  head,  native  combs,  paint  for  painting 
the  face,  their  pillows,  (a  stick  like  a  broom-handle  supported  on 
short  legs  at  each  end,)  musical  instruments,  models  of  canoes — 
indeed  all  the  arts  and  manufactures  of  the  island  are  well  rep- 
resented ;  and  were  the  chief  Veindovi  living,  a  visit  to  the  hall 
with  Veindovi  at  hand,  would  be  little  less  interesting  than  visit- 
ing the  islands  themselves.  One  advantage  at  least — no  danger 
would  be  apprehended  from  a  ferocious  race  of  cannibals,  that 
are  ready  to  attack  all  intruders  into  those  seas.  Several  Feejee 
skulls  are  to  be  found  in  a  separate  case  containing  the  skulls 
collected  by  the  expedition.  Among  them,  one  bears  the  marks 
of  the  fire  in  a  large  burnt  spot  on  the  top  of  the  head.  Early 
one  morning,  soon  after  the  Peacock  came  to  anchor  off  a  small 
Feejee  town,  she  was  boarded  by  a  large  number  of  natives, 
who  came  off  with  their  half  eaten  bones  in  their  hands — the 
remains  of  the  past  night's  cannibal  feast.  They  continued  eat- 
ing the  human  flesh  on  deck,  as  unconsciously  as  we  would  eat 
an  apple.  One  had  the  skull  just  referred  to  in  his  hand,  and  as 
he  consented  to  part  with  it  for  some  trifle,  he  gouged  out  the 
remaining  eye  and  went  on  eating  off  its  muscles.  This  fact, 
so  revolting,  is  here  stated  on  account  of  the  prevalent  unwil- 
lingness to  admit  that  cannibalism  actually  exists  among  savages. 
This  was  seen  both  by  men  and  officers,  and  from  the  facts  col- 

*  The  glass  cases  in  the  hall  measure  twelve  feet  by  four,  and  are  eight  feet  high. 


10  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

lected  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  their  entertaining  an  actual  relish 
for  human  flesh.  The  pottery  of  the  Feejees  is  among  the  most 
remarkable  of  their  manufactures,  as  this  art  is  not  known  to  the 
Polynesian  races.  Collections  equally  curious  were  obtained  at 
other  places,  but  we  must  pass  them  by  without  remark. 

The  portfolios  of  the  artists  are  rich  in  scenes  of  every  kind 
illustrating  the  islands  or  regions  visited,  and  their  inhabitants. 
The  scenery  of  the  islands,  their  mountains  and  forests,  their 
villages  with  interior  and  exterior  views  of  huts  and  public 
houses — their  spirit  houses  or  temples — fortifications — household 
utensils — canoes — the  natives  in  council — dressed  and  painted 
for  war — the  domestic  scenes  of  the  village — costumes — tattoo- 
ing— modes  of  cooking,  eating,  drinking  cava,  taking  and  curing 
fish,  swimming,  gambling  and  other  amusements, — their  war- 
dances — club-dances — jugglery — and  numerous  other  particulars 
illustrating  their  manners  and  customs  have  been  sketched  with 
fidelity.  The  portraits  too  are  numerous,  and  so  faithful  that  the 
natives  who  had  not  seen  them  taken,  on  beholding  them  would 
cry  out  with  surprise  the  name  of  the  individual  represented. 

The  number  of  sketches  of  scenes  and  scenery  amounts  to 
more  than  five  hundred,  besides  five  hundred  others  of  head- 
lands; the  number  of  portraits  is  about  two  hundred.  They 
have  been  taken  at  all  the  places  visited,  from  Madeira  where  the 
vessels  first  stopped,  throughout  the  cruise,  to  St.  Helena.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  enumerate  the  particular  regions. 

The  principal  importance  of  the  observations  and  sketches 
illustrating  the  different  races,  consists  in  their  bearing  upon  the 
history  of  these  races,  their  migrations,  and  their  physical  and 
moral  characteristics.  These  subjects,  in  connection  with  the 
study  of  languages,  which  together  constitute  the  science  of  eth- 
nography, received  special  attention  during  the  cruise.  The  op- 
portunities for  observation  have  been  unusually  good,  and  the 
information  collected  will  prove,  it  is  believed,  highly  interesting. 
Only  a  few  of  the  results  can  be  here  alluded  to. 

It  has  been  long  known  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  principal 
groups,  scattered  over  the  Pacific  to  the  east  of  the  Feejee  islands 
— those  usually  included  under  the  general  name  of  Polynesia — 
belong  to  one  race,  and  in  fact  are  one  people,  speaking  dialects 
of  one  general  language  closely  allied  to  the  Malay.  Materials 
have  been  obtained  for  a  comparative  grammar  and  dictionary  of 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  1 1 

the  most  important  dialects,  (including  those  of  the  Sandwich, 
Society,  Friendly,  Navigator,  and  Hervey  islands  and  New  Zea- 
land,) and  from  this  comparison  and  the  traditions  of  several  of 
these  islands,  it  is  believed  that  the  original  seat  of  the  popula- 
tion— viz.  in  the  Navigator  Islands — has  been  satisfactorily  de- 
termined, and  the  course  of  the  migrations  has  been  traced  out 
by  which  the  different  groups  were  peopled. 

The  vast  island  or  continent  of  New  Holland  has  heretofore 
been  generally  supposed  to  be  inhabited  by  numerous  tribes 
speaking  languages  entirely  distinct.  An  opportunity  however 
was  found  of  obtaining  a  grammatical  analysis  of  the  languages  of 
the  inhabitants  of  two  tribes  living  more  than  two  hundred  miles 
apart,  and  ignorant  of  each  other's  existence  ;  which  has  resulted 
in  showing  a  clear  and  intimate  resemblance,  not  merely  in  the 
great  mass  of  words,  but  in  the  inflections  and  minute  peculiari- 
ties of  the  two  languages.  By  the  aid  of  several  vocabularies, 
the  comparison  has  been  extended  across  the  entire  continent,  and 
has  afforded  fair  grounds  for  believing  that  the  inhabitants  of  New 
Holland,  like  those  of  Polynesia,  are  one  people,  speaking  langua- 
ges derived  from  a  common  origin.  Much  information  was  ob- 
tained from  the  missionaries  and  others,  concerning  the  character, 
usages,  and  religious  belief  of  this  singular  race. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  extensive  and  populous  Feejee  group 
have  been  viewed  with  peculiar  interest,  from  their  position  be- 
tween the  yellow  Polynesian  tribes  on  the  east,  and  the  Oceanic 
negroes  on  the  west.  The  result  of  inquiries,  pursued  with  care 
during  a  stay  of  nearly  four  months,  has  been  to  throw  new  and 
unexpected  light  on  the  origin  of  this  people,  and  their  connec- 
tion with  the  neighboring  races.  A  mass  of  minute  information 
in  regard  to  the  customs,  traditions  and  languages  of  these  isl- 
anders, including  a  grammar  and  a  dictionary  of  about  three  thou- 
sand words,  will  be  given  to  the  public. 

The  Kingsmill  Islands  are  another  interesting  group,  first  ac- 
curately surveyed  by  the  vessels  of  the  expedition.  They  lie  in 
the  western  part  of  the  Pacific,  directly  under  the  equator.  They 
are  sixteen  in  number,  all  of  coral  formation,  the  highest  land  on 
any  of  them  rising  not  more  than  twenty  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  their  united  superficies  not  exceeding  a  hundred  and 
fifty  square  miles.  They  afford  no  stone  but  coral,  no  quadru- 
peds but  rats,  and  not  more  than  thirty  species  of  plants.  Yet 

2 


12  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

on  this  confined  space,  thus  scantily  endowed  by  nature,  was 
found  a  dense  population  of  more  than  sixty  thousand  souls,  in  a 
state  not  inferior,  as  regards  civilization,  to  any  of  the  other  islands 
of  the  Pacific.  It  is  obvious  that  the  character  and  customs  of  this 
people,  as  modified  by  their  peculiar  condition,  must  have  present- 
ed much  that  was  novel  and  striking.  By  the  aid  of  two  sailors 
who  were  fortunately  found  living  on  these  islands — one  of  whom 
had  been  detained  there  five  years  without  an  opportunity  of  es- 
caping— these  points  were  minutely  examined,  the  relations  of 
the  language  determined,  and  the  probable  origin  of  the  natives 
ascertained. 

In  the  territory  of  Oregon,  vocabularies  have  been  obtained  of 
twenty  six  languages  belonging  to  thirteen  distinct  families — a 
surprising  and  unexampled  number  to  be  found  in  so  small  a 
space.  In  general,  where  a  multitude  of  unrelated  idioms  have 
been  believed  to  exist,  more  careful  researches,  by  discovering 
resemblances  and  affinities  before  nnperceived,  have  greatly  re- 
duced the  number.  On  the  northwest  coast  of  America,  how- 
ever, this  rule  does  not  hold  good,  and  careful  investigation, 
instead  of  diminishing,  has  actually  increased  the  number  of  lan- 
guages between  which  no  connection  can  be  proved.  On  the 
other  hand,  traces  of  affinity  have  been  discovered  where  none 
were  supposed  to  exist;  and  it  is  worthy  of  note,  that  one  family 
of  languages  has  been  found  extending  from  the  vicinity  of 
Bheering's  Straits  to  some  distance  south  of  the  Columbia  River. 

At  Singapore,  the  expedition  procured  from  an  American  mis- 
sionary there  resident,  a  collection  made  by  him  with  £reat  pains 
and  at  considerable  expense,  of  valuable  Malay  and  Btigis  manu- 
scripts, relating  to  the  history,  mythology,  laws,  and  customs  of 
the  East  India  islands.  Since  the  loss  of  the  splendid  collection 
of  Sir  Stamford  Raffles,  which  was  burned  along  with  the  vessel 
in  which  it  had  been  shipped  for  England,  this  is  believed  to  be 
the  best  in  existence.  It  is  likely  to  be  of  great  service  hereafter, 
not  less  to  the  historian,  than  the  philologist. 

The  birds  of  the  expedition  already  make  a  fine  display  in  the 
National  Gallery,  although  but  two  thirds  are  yet  arranged.  In 
all  there  are  about  a  thousand  species  collected,  and  double  that 
number  of  specimens.  Contrary  to  expectation,  many  of  the 
birds  of  Oceania  were  found  to  have  a  very  limited  range.  Some 
of  the  groups  have  species  peculiar  to  themselves,  and  several 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  13 

insessorial  species  were  found  to  be  confined  to  a  single  island. 
About  fifty  new  species  were  obtained. 

The  field  for  mammalia  afforded  by  the  voyage  has  been  very 
limited.  None  of  the  Pacific  islands,  including  New  Zealand, 
contain  any  native  mammalia,  except  bats.  Much  interesting 
information  was  however  obtained  relative  to  species  met  with  on 
the  continents  visited,  and  a  few  new  species  were  collected. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  number  of  species  in  the  other 
departments  of  zoology,  as  nearly  as  can  now  be  determined : — 
Fishes,  .  .  .  829  Shells,  .  .  .  2000 

Reptiles,          .         .         140  Zoophytes,  exclusive  of 

Crustacea,       .         .         900  corals,          .         .         300 

Insects,  .         .       1500  Corals,    .         .         .         450 

Of  these  the  number  of  new  species  is  nearly  as  follows : — 
Fishes,  about  .         .         250  Shells,    .         .         .         250 

Reptiles,          .         .  40  Zoophytes,  exclusive  of 

Crustacea,       .         .         600  corals,          .         .        200 

Insects,  .         .         500  Corals,    ...         100 

The  following  catalogue  contains  the  number  of  species  of 
reptiles  and  fishes  collected  at  the  islands  and  countries  visited : 

Fishes.  Reptiles. 

Madeira  and  Cape  Verds,      .         .  12  .  6 

Rio  Janeiro,         .         .         .  104  .  25 

Patagonia  and  Tierra  del  Fuego,  14  .  5 

Valparaiso,           .         .         .         .  32  .  11 

Peru,                   ....  56  .  10 

Paumotu  Islands  and  Tahiti,        .  87  .  7 

Samoa  (or  Navigators),        .         .  64  .  8 

Australia, 30  .  18 

New  Zealand,     ....  25  .  6 

Tongatabu  and  Feejees,      .         .  131  .15 

Sandwich  Islands,  about      .         .  100  .  4 

Oregon,  about     .        .         .         .  60  .  15 

California,  "       ....  20  .  2 

Sooloo  Sea,         ....  18  .  8 

Manilla, 32  .  1 

Singapore,           .         .        .         .  21  .  9 

Cape  of  Good  Hope,    ...  4 

At  sea, 9 

Of  the  six  hundred  new  species  of  Crustacea,  about  two  hun- 
dred are  oceanic  species,  of  many  of  which,  even  the  genera  or 


14  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

families  are  unknown.  The  ocean  swarms  with  minute  crusta- 
cea,  and  it  is  seldom  that  a  hand-net  is  thrown  in  good  weather 
without  bringing  up  some  novelty.  In  some  seas  they  are  so 
numerous  as  to  color  the  ocean  red,  over  many  square  miles  of 
surface,  as  was  observed  off  the  South  American  coast  near  Val- 
paraiso. These  are  the  red  or  bloody  waters  that  have  been  de- 
scribed. When  thus  numerous,  these  animals  are  often  called 
whale's  feed,  and  it  is  believed  that  they  are  actually  the  food  of 
the  "right  whale."  Each  animal  is  not  over  a  twelfth  of  an  inch 
long,  yet  they  swarm  in  such  numbers  as  to  afford  subsistence  to 
these  monsters  of  the  deep.  The  fibrous  net- work  of  whalebone, 
in  the  roof  of  the  whale's  mouth,  is  fitted  to  strain  out  these  ani- 
mals from  the  water  which  passes  through  and  is  ejected  by  the 
spout-holes.  Many  minute  dissections  have  been  made  of  these 
and  other  Crustacea,  and  some  interesting  physiological  facts 
brought  to  light.  As  the  species  are  often  transparent,  nearly  all 
the  processes  of  life,  even  to  the  motion  of  every  muscle  and  ev- 
ery particle  that  floats  in  the  blood,  are  open  to  view. 

The  Anatifa  (a  species  of  barnacle)  has  been  traced  through  its 
metamorphoses,  from  the  young  state  when  it  resembles  a  Cypris 
and  swims  at  large  with  distinct  compound  eyes,  to  the  adult  ani- 
mal ;  and  its  connection  with  Crustacea  is  placed  beyond  doubt. 

The  collection  of  corals  at  the  National  Gallery  is  one  of  its 
principal  attractions.  The  great  beauty  and  variety  of  these  pro- 
ductions is  not  conceived  of,  even  by  those  best  acquainted  with 
other  collections  in  our  country.  These  are  the  material  that 
constitutes  the  immense  reefs  of  the  Pacific  and  East  Indies — 
some  of  which  exceed  a  thousand  square  miles  in  extent.  More 
than  three  fourths  of  all  the  islands  of  this  great  ocean  have  been 
built  up  through  the  labors  of  the  coral  animal.  The  formation 
of  these  islands,  and  the  growth  of  the  coral  animal,  the  filling 
up  and  opening  of  harbors,  and  the  rising  of  reefs — all  interest- 
ing subjects  of  discussion,  received  particular  attention  ;  and  the 
number  of  coral  islands  visited,  and  reefs  examined,  have  afford- 
ed unusual  opportunities  for  these  investigations.  Colored  draw- 
ings have  been  made  of  a  large  number  of  coral  animals,  which 
will  convey  some  idea  of  their  singular  beauty  and  richness  of 
colors.  Many  of  these  animals  are  wholly  unknown  to  science, 
as  this  is  a  branch  of  zoology  to  which  comparatively  little  at- 
tention has  heretofore  been  paid,  on  account  of  the  inaccessible 
regions  in  which  they  occur. 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  15 

The  following  is  the  number  of  zoological  drawings  made  du- 
ring the  cruise,  in  the  departments  of  science  here  enumerated  : 

Reptiles, 75  species. 

Fish,  260      " 

Mollusca,  (shells  with  the  animals,)      500      " 
Zoophytes,  (exclusive  of  corals,)          350     " 

Corals, 140     " 

Crustacea,     .         .         .         .  500      " 

The  variety  and  beauty  of  marine  animals  in  the  coral  seas 
of  the  Pacific  are  beyond  description.  Like  birds  in  our  for- 
ests, fish  of  brilliant  colors  sport  among  the  coral  groves,  and 
various  mollnsca  cover  the  bottom  with  living  flowers.  A  new 
world  of  beings  is  here  opened  to  an  inhabitant  of  our  cold  cli- 
mate ;  and  many  of  these  productions  are  so  unlike  the  ordinary 
forms  of  life,  that  it  is  difficult  without  seeing  them,  to  believe 
in  their  existence.  Those  that  have  looked  over  the  beautiful 
colored  drawings  by  the  artists  of  the  expedition,  are  aware  that 
this  description  falls  short  of  the  truth. 

A  large  number  of  new  species  yet  remain  to  be  drawn.  While 
there  were  so  many  things  requiring  immediate  attention,  it  was 
impossible  to  sketch  all,  and  those  were  selected  for  sketching  on 
the  spot,  whose  forms  and  colors  were  most  liable  to  change. 

Ten  thousand  species  of  plants,  and  upwards  of  fifty  thousand 
specimens,  constitute  the  herbarium  of  the  expedition.  The  fol- 
lowing catalogue  gives  the  number  of  species  collected  at  the 
several  places  visited  : — 

Madeira,          .         .         300  Feejee  Islands,         .         786 

Cape  Yerds,     .         .  60  Coral  Islands,  .  29 

Brazil,    ...         980  Sandwich  Islands,  .         883 

Rio  Negro  (Patagonia),    150  Oregon,  .         .       1218 

Tierra  del  Fuego,   .         220  California,       .         .         519 

Chili,      ...         442  Manilla,  .         .         381 

Peru,       .         .         .         820  Singapore,       .         .  80 

Tahiti,    .         .         .         288  Mindanao,       .         .         102 

Samoa  (Navigator  Ids.),  457  Sooloo  Islands,        .  58 

New  South  Wales,  787  Mangsi  Islands,       .  80 

New  Zealand,         .         398  Cape  of  Good  Hope,        300 

Auckland  Islands,    .  50  St.  Helena,     .         .          20 

Tongatabu,     .        .        236  9646 


16  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

Including  the  mosses,  lichens,  and  sea-weeds,  the  number  will 
exceed  ten  thousand.  Besides  dried  specimens,  two  hundred 
and  four  living  plants  were  brought  home,  and  are  now  in  the 
green-house  in  the  yard  of  the  Patent  Office,  along  with  many 
others  raised  from  seeds.  The  kinds  of  seeds  obtained,  amount 
to  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  six.  Many  of  the  expedition  plants 
are  now  growing  in  the  various  green-houses  of  the  country,  and 
also  in  England  and  Europe.  Specimens  of  different  woods  have 
been  preserved,  the  most  interesting  of  which  are  those  of  large 
arborescent  species  of  Oxalis,  Viola,  Ripogonum,  Piper,  Geranium, 
Argyroxiphium,  Dracophyllum,  Rubus,  Bromelia,  Lobelia  and 
Compositae  of  various  kinds,  besides  sections  of  the  Tree  Ferns 
and  Palms  of  the  tropics.  There  are  colored  drawings  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  species  of  plants,  beautifully  executed. 

Besides  the  observations  at  which  we  have  glanced,  in  the  de- 
partments of  zoology  and  botany,  particular  attention  was  paid 
to  the  geographical  distribution  of  plants  and  animals,  and  many 
important  facts  have  been  ascertained.  The  reports  on  this  sub- 
ject, with  the  accompanying  illustrative  maps,  will  be  found  to 
be  among  the  most  interesting  of  the  results  of  the  expedition. 
This  subject  bears  upon  the  distribution  of  fossil  animals,  and 
the  early  history  of  our  globe,  and  is  exciting  much  attention 
among  those  interested  in  geological  investigations. 

The  regions  examined  by  the  expedition  have  been  highly 
interesting  in  a  geological  point  of  view.  The  islands  of  the 
Pacific  east  of  New  Caledonia  are  either  basaltic  or  coralline. 
A  large  number  of  the  latter  (as  already  stated)  have  been  ex- 
amined, and  much  that  is  important  has  been  brought  to  light. 
The  facts  strongly  confirm  Darwin's  theory  with  regard  to  the 
formation  of  these  islands,  but  lead  to  very  different  conclu- 
sions respecting  the  areas  of  subsidence  and  elevation  in  the 
Pacific.  Numerous  facts  bearing  upon  this  subject  were  col- 
lected. The  basaltic  islands  are  of  various  ages,  from  the  most 
recent  volcanic  to  a  very  remote  period — probably  as  far  back 
as  the  middle  of  the  secondary  era.  The  older  islands  are  re- 
markable for  their  singular  topographical  features.  There  is 
scarcely  any  part  of  the  world  where  such  profound  gorges, 
and  sharp  and  lofty  peaks  and  ridges,  are  thrown  together  in 


United  States  Exploring  Expedition.  17 

a  manner  so  remarkable.  On  one  of  the  high  ridges  of  Ta- 
hiti, (Society  group,)  about  six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 
the  summit  edge  is  so  sharp,  and  the  sides  of  the  mountain 
so  nearly  vertical,  that  the  adventurous  traveller  may  sit  astride 
of  it,  and  look  down  a  precipice  of  a  thousand  feet  on  either 
side.  In  no  other  way  except  by  thus  balancing  and  pushing 
himself  along  is  it  possible,  for  about  thirty  feet,  to  advance 
towards  the  summit  before  him — yet  a  thousand  feet  higher — 
for  the  bushes  which  are  growing  on  the  crest  elsewhere  and 
serve  as  a  balustrade,  are  here  wanting.  The  famous  coral  bed 
on  the  mountains  of  Tahiti,  was  looked  for  without  success. 

The  Sandwich  Islands  contain  basaltic  rocks  of  all  ages,  from 
the  most  recent  volcanic  to  the  most  ancient  in  the  Pacific,  be- 
sides coral  rocks  and  elevated  reefs ;  and  they  are  full  of  interest, 
both  as  regards  the  structure  and  formation  of  igneous  and  lime- 
stone rocks,  and  geological  dynamics.  The  lofty  precipices  and 
examples  of  shattered  mountains  before  the  eye.  are  astounding 
to  those  who  see  only  the  little  steeps,  of  a  few  hundred  feet  at 
most,  in  the  surface  of  our  own  country.  There  is  evidence  that 
the  island  of  Oahu  is  the  shattered  remnant  of  two  lofty  volcanic 
mountains.  A  precipice  on  this  island,  upwards  of  twenty  miles 
long  and  from  one  to  three  thousand  feet  high,  is  apparently  a 
section  of  one  of  these  volcanic  mountains  or  domes,  along  which 
it  was  rent  in  two,  when  the  greater  part  was  tumbled  off  and 
submerged  in  the  ocean. 

Oahu  is  fringed  in  part  with  a  coral  reef,  twenty  five  feet  out 
of  water ;  and  similar  proofs  of  still  greater  elevation  are  met  with 
on  the  other  islands. 

New  Holland  afforded  the  expedition  a  collection  of  coal  plants 
from  the  coal  region  ;  the  coal  is  bituminous  and  the  beds  are  ex- 
tensive. Large  collections  were  also  obtained  of  fossil  shells  and 
corals,  (about  one  hundred  and  eighty  species  in  all,)  from  the 
sandstone  next  below  the  coal.  The  geology  of  the  coal  region, 
and  of  the  overlying  sandstone,  and  the  fossiliferous  sandstone 
below,  together  with  the  trap  dykes  and  beds,  will  prove  highly 
interesting.  These  are  the  only  rocks  observed. 

About  one  hundred  species  of  fossils,  including  vertebras  of  ce- 
tacea,  and  remains  of  four  species  of  fish,  crabs,  echini  and  shells, 
were  collected  from  a  clayey  sandstone,  near  Astoria,  on  the  Co- 
lumbia. Various  explorations  were  made  in  the  interior  of  Ore- 
gon, and  on  a  jaunt  overland  to  California. 


18  United  States  Exploring  Expedition. 

The  Andes  were  ascended  both  in  Chili  and  Peru,  and  in  the 
latter,  an  ammonite  was  obtained  at  a  height  of  sixteen  thou- 
sand feet. 

The  collections  at  the  National  Gallery  contain  suites  of  speci- 
mens from  all  the  regions  visited,  including  gems,  and  gold  and 
iron  ores  from  Brazil,  the  copper  and  some  of  the  silver  ores  of 
Peru  and  Chili,  besides  others  illustrating  the  general  geological 
structure  of  these  countries. 

But  our  remarks  have  already  extended  to  an  unexpected 
length.  The  facts  enumerated,  although  but  here  and  there 
one  from  the  mass  which  have  been  collected,  are  sufficient  to 
evince  that  the  nation  which  has  done  honor  to  itself  in  sending 
out  an  exploring  expedition  so  liberally  organized,  will  have  no 
reason  to  be  disappointed  in  the  results.  European  nations  al- 
ready appreciate  it,  and  speak  higher  praise  than  has  yet  been 
heard  on  this  side  of  the  waters.  The  advantages  accruing  to 
commerce  alone,  from  the  large  number  of  surveys  made,  reefs 
discovered  and  laid  down,  unknown  harbors  examined,  resources 
of  islands  and  countries  investigated — and  from  the  permanent 
footing  on  which  intercourse  with  the  Pacific  islands  has  been 
placed  by  the  settlement  of  long  standing  difficulties  and  the  rati- 
fication of  treaties,  and  the  impression  produced  by  an  armed 
force,  more  than  repay  for  expenditures.  The  expedition  has 
performed  the  duties  of  an  ordinary  squadron  in  the  Pacific,  and 
has  accomplished  in  this  way  many  fold  more  in  that  ocean,  than 
any  squadron  that  ever  left  our  country ;  and  if  the  expenses  of 
keeping  the  vessels  in  commission  are  cancelled  on  this  score,  the 
sum  which  remains  for  the  extraordinary  duties  performed  will 
be  but  small. 

But  while  we  render  to  those  whose  labors  have  obtained  the 
results  of  the  expedition  their  full  due  of  credit,  we  cannot  forget 
that  there  are  others,  and  one  in  particular,  whose  zeal  and  un- 
tiring exertions  in  planning,  arid  urging  forward  to  its  completion 
this  enterprise,  deserve  more  than  a  passing  acknowledgment. 
Mr.  J.  N.  Reynolds  was  left  behind,  yet,  though  unrewarded  for 
his  efforts  by  the  pleasure  of  accompanying  the  expedition,  and 
adding  to  its  laurels,  his  distinguished  merits  will  not  be  forgot- 
ten or  disregarded  by  his  countrymen. 

M 


*•*  / 

JL__> 


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